Adored by Him
by NotMakingHistory
Summary: Based on Dodie Clark's song Adored by Him. Nico can't stand the way Percy looks at Annabeth. But maybe someone will show him he doesn't need to compare to the girl with the butterscotch hair.


**Hey! So for Lent I decided to set myself a challenge to write everyday! So here is day 1/2! I don't know if it will be all Nico and Will but I hope you enjoy.**

 **The song lyrics are from Adored by Him by Dodie ClarkThe characters are Rick Roirdan**

 _Pretty girl with the butterscotch hair  
Your eyes and the sunshine smile you wear  
I can see how you make his soul glow _

_Pretty girl with the adventurous mind  
You envision so much you make me look blind  
You spark his life in ways I'll never know_

Nico watched Annabeth from the Hermes table. She looked up and caught his eye; she smiled warmly and he looked away quickly, his face turning pink. Connor Stoll leaned over to Nico with a grin. "Someone has a crush!" He grinned but Nico glowered at him and he turned away quickly. The younger boy turned back to the Athena table just in time to see Annabeth rise from it. For a horrible moment Nico thought she was coming over to him but she turned and walked towards Percy, her butterscotch hair trailing behind.

Annabeth's movements seemed attract the attention of the entire dining pavilion, meaning Nico could watch without suspicion. His eyes rested on Percy. Percy and Annabeth. Anyone could see the attraction between them. The way they both lit up when the other was around. Annabeth said something and Percy watched her with a smile that looked a bit dazed.

They were obviously talking about something important; Annabeth was most likely telling Percy about something important that Nico would never understand. The way Annabeth could entrance Percy just by talking to him was something Nico would never have. He sighed and excused himself from the table.

 _And I won't hate you but oh it stings  
How does it feel to be adored by him? _

The campfire was blazing and everyone was gathered round. Nico sat at the back in the shadows. He watched as Percy looked over at Annabeth and smiled softly. As she smiled back, he tried to hate her but you knew he couldn't. He turned away, unable to watch Percy's adoring smile any longer.

 _Pretty girl there's no need to fret  
Cuz its midnight he's drunk and you're the one in his head  
You don't even have to try at all_

 _Pretty girl, oh he looks at you  
As if life is perfect and the world is new  
In those moments I just feel so small_

"Where have you been?" Annabeth yelled, hugging Percy tight. Nico didn't even stick around long enough to find out.

Later, around midnight he is wondering through camp when he hears someone on the veranda of the Poseidon cabin. Percy is standing there, a bottle in his hand. Nico debates for moment before heading over. "Nico!" Percy calls, and the younger boy can instantly smell alcohol. "It's midnight Percy, shouldn't you be asleep?" Nico asks, coming to a stop next to Percy. "I could ask you the same thing," Percy slurs and Nico decides not to ask where he got the alcohol from.

They spend a few moments in silence before Percy breaks it. "I got stuck on an island," he says simply, sitting down and taking another swig out of his bottle. "I heard." Nico replies, looking out over the camp. A few moments later, he hears snoring and turns to see Percy is asleep, clutching his bottle to his chest.

Nico debates leaving him there but decides it wouldn't be fair to let Percy get in trouble. It takes a lot of effort but slowly, Nico drags Percy inside his cabin. Being half unconscious, Percy was very little help. Nico sets in the middle of the cabin and covers him with a blanket. Nico is about to leave when Percy murmurs in his sleep. Nico moves closer to hear. "Annabeth…" The younger boy staggers outside like he's been slapped. It takes him a few moments to get his breath back and his eyes sting with angry tears. He hears someone coming and disappears into the shadows…

The next morning, Percy is staring at Annabeth and Nico can't stand it. As he heads toward the woods he finds Percy's bottle from last night and scoops it up. He takes a swig and it stings his throat but it makes him feel less small so he takes another before disappearing.

 _How stupid to think that I could compare  
To the pretty girl with the butterscotch hair_

Nico hurts for so long, he forgets what it feels like to not hurt. How could he compare to her? Tartarus burns his soul and he starts to fade shadowing travelling across the world. But maybe that's ok because maybe he doesn't want to compare to her anymore; even if it's only himself that does that. And once this war is over he will disappear so that he never has to see that butterscotch hair again.

But then Will… Well, Will takes him by surprise and Nico doesn't even understand what is going on in his heart. But just maybe it doesn't matter that he will never compare. Not when Will holds him and makes the hurt go away.

 _And I won't hate you but oh it stings  
How does it feel to be adored by him? _

"I used to hate you, you know," Nico says to Annabeth one day as they walk through New Rome. Percy and Will are up ahead, arguing over whether the water or Will's healing is more effective on Percy. "Because of him?" Annabeth said. She didn't even sound surprised. Nico nods. "Well I tried anyway. It was a bit hard to hate you," He adds and she smiles. "But not anymore?" she says and its more of a statement than a question. "No," he smiles at her then turns to see Will's adoring gaze fixed on his face.

 _How does it feel to be adored by him?_


End file.
